Is the Salvation Army a good organization ?

[Deleted]

I need to google. Or maybe y'all have some suggestions. I want to volunteer in some way with DS this year. We do the toy drive and fill a shoe box as well.

But I want to donate our time too. He is too young for a soup kitchen but maybe we could ring the bell together?

[Deleted]

I thought I read somewhere that SA is not as good as it seems.

[Deleted]

It depends on how you feel about homosexuals.  If you support their rights, then no, SA is not good.

[Deleted]

Nov 22, 2014 16:57:41 GMT -5 @licia said:

They have LGBTQ issues. I'd stay away.

Ok. Yep. It's all coming back.

[runmama]

Aw, shit. I literally did this with my boys today. I had no idea about their LGBT issues

[tripleshot]

Nope. In addition to the LGBT issues, when a coworker, her kids, and her BF (kids' father) needed to stay in a shelter years ago, they wouldn't let them stay together because they weren't married yet.

[v]

They also hate porn. blog.salvationarmyusa.org/tag/pornography/

The anti gay thing means that I'd never give them a penny, but the white ribbon against porn campaign makes me side-eye the shit out of them. No thanks.

[Miss Phryne Fisher]

Nope. I give them nothing.

[livinitup]

They are a religious organization.
So, they have all that crap of religious organizations.

Their programs are top notch. In that lens. Shelter, food, basics are all well funded around here. The bell ringing in our community pays for gifts, books and food baskets for all kids/families.

[LoveTrains]

I do not support them.

[unclejesse]

I used to love supporting them, to the point of being a bell ringer. Not anymore.

[unclejesse]

I know you are in the central fla vicinity too, I'd check out Second Harvest.

[Deleted]

Nov 22, 2014 19:30:55 GMT -5 unclejesse said:

I know you are in the central fla vicinity too, I'd check out Second Harvest.

I'm actually northeast but I have heard of second harvest. I will check it out!!

[Deleted]

The grinch is on TBS


Is the Jim carry grinch on this year? I looked it up and it only showed the option to rent.

[Deleted]

Nov 22, 2014 19:48:14 GMT -5 @lazerus24 said:

The grinch is on TBS


Is the Jim carry grinch on this year? I looked it up and it only showed the option to rent.

Wrong thread. Lol.

[auntie]

Do you have a soup kitchen or meals-on-wheels type organization?

Often they'll accept "breakfast bags" or "comfort bags" that you could assemble at home. We used to do this with our younger scouts who were deemed too young because of insurance liability issues.

[NewOrleans]

No. Not at all. m.bilerico.com/bilerico/#!/entry/why-you-shouldnt-donate-to-the-salvation-army-bell-ringers,5286aa2f025312186c88913f

Right around the same time as the above post came out, I read an article about how the SA is grossly corrupt, as well. I wish I could remember the details of that one. I wouldn't even know how to find it now but if I do I will post it.

[v]

I will also say (as someone who sits in an office that is across the street from bell ringers and therefore has to hear it all day every day during the season) ringing bells all day makes you the FUCKING WORST.

[Deleted]

Nov 23, 2014 10:09:42 GMT -5 auntie said:

Do you have a soup kitchen or meals-on-wheels type organization?

Often they'll accept "breakfast bags" or "comfort bags" that you could assemble at home. We used to do this with our younger scouts who were deemed too young because of insurance liability issues.

Great idea.

[MixedBerryJam]

Nov 22, 2014 18:31:33 GMT -5 livinitup said:

They are a religious organization.
So, they have all that crap of religious organizations.

Their programs are top notch. In that lens. Shelter, food, basics are all well funded around here. The bell ringing in our community pays for gifts, books and food baskets for all kids/families.

I have a really hard time saying no to the bellringers. I hope the buckets where I donate at least keep their receipts funding local programs and central admin doesn't take a cut. I'll feel less torn digging up the loose change in the bottom of my bag that way.

[Captain Serious]

Nov 22, 2014 19:18:58 GMT -5 @licia said:

Laz, I would call your local bread line/soup kitchen and see what the age is that kids are allowed to help. I'm sure you could also call your area food pantries and see if they need help packing orders or stocking shelves - that might be more little guy friendly.

Around here, the youngest is 13; 16 if they come in contact with the people who use the services.

[Captain Serious]

Nov 23, 2014 10:09:42 GMT -5 auntie said:

Do you have a soup kitchen or meals-on-wheels type organization?

Often they'll accept "breakfast bags" or "comfort bags" that you could assemble at home. We used to do this with our younger scouts who were deemed too young because of insurance liability issues.

This is what I do with the boys. We make silverware/napkin packets for the local food truck and sometimes make meals at home, freeze them, and deliver them to them as well.

[fuckyourcouch]

Contact meals on wheels. They always need help delivering meals, especially on thanksgiving.

[fuckyourcouch]

Oh and I'm sure some of the people receiving meals would love to have a sweet kiddo visitor.

[underwaterrhymes]

I would not donate large amounts to them, but a lot of the people who receive services are the ones ringing the bells, so I do drop some change here and a dollar there when I pass by.

Although I strongly disagree with their stance on people who are LGBTQ, the Salvation Army does provide much needed services. I avoid corporate organizations who express similar stances, but it's hard for me to walk by a bell ringer without putting something in the red bucket.

[underwaterrhymes]

One of the best Thanksgivings I ever had was volunteering at a homeless shelter. And Toys for Tots is collecting right now. I bought an Elsa doll the other day. It might be fun to take the kids shopping for other kids.

[Howards Mom]

Here Ronald McDonald House encourages children to volunteer. One of the most common activities is decorating brown lunch bags (stickers,coloring, happy/positive messages) for the families to stock their lunch from the pantry.

The families often cook group meals and leave it refrigerated for others to heat and eat. Maybe make a large enough meal with the kids to deliver? Our RMH houses up to six families, but is rarely at capacity.

[4speedy]

Well, they are an army trying to provide salvation to people, as they see it. As pointed out, they are not accepting of gays. If you happen to fit their very narrow mold of who is acceptable, they will often make you sit through a religious service before they pass out the warming blankets or assign beds at a shelter. That's not necessarily a "rule" but it often happens at individual shelters.

[lg28]

Just an FYI - in Canada, the SA cannot discriminate against gays legally because of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. So it is a bit different here.

In my town, the SA is extremely organized and provides hundreds of families with food and other essentials without judgement year-round. They also provide emergency shelter and help the local homeless shelter. We have a lot of drug users and they help them find suitable housing and provide food and other necessities and don't care that they have drug issues.

I'm a realtor and worked with the local pastors when their family was moving. They are extremely cost-conscious and accounted for every penny. No one that works for the organization makes very much $$.

So while the SA as a whole may have issues, lots of local branches are doing amazing things. I would inquire before you dismiss them completely. This is what I did before deciding to support them locally. And I'm an atheist who feels passionately about LGBT rights.

[Deleted]

Nov 23, 2014 12:17:40 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

I would not donate large amounts to them, but a lot of the people who receive services are the ones ringing the bells, so I do drop some change here and a dollar there when I pass by.

Although I strongly disagree with their stance on people who are LGBTQ, the Salvation Army does provide much needed services. I avoid corporate organizations who express similar stances, but it's hard for me to walk by a bell ringer without putting something in the red bucket.

I want so badly to volunteer at a homeless shelter on thanksgiving. I have told DH that as soon as both of our kids are old enough to come with I want to make this a tradition.